Tuesday, January 27, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Community College has made the decision to reduce the frequency of office cleaning from daily to weekly, according to Globe, Salt Lake Community College's Newsweekly.
The reduction in custodial services is due to recent budget cuts, the story stated.
Full- and part-time custodians working day and mixed shifts will be moved to night shifts; the thinking is that custodians can more easily clean empty buildings, thus increasing the efficiency of the department, the story noted.
An e-mail from the Facilities Department said: "We are aware of SLCC's need to become more sustainable while rising to the budget challenges we are being faced with. We feel that we have a way to meet both of these objectives."
Common areas such as the Student Center and classrooms will still be cleaned daily; offices that generate an excess of waste will be provided with additional waste baskets to compensate for the reduced cleaning frequency, the story added.
Monday, February 16, 2009
City's efforts gag graffiti growth
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
BRONX, NY — With concerns about graffiti reaching nearly 2,000 complaints a year, the Bronx has reacted with a two-pronged approach: Clean the unsightly tags and hold violators accountable, according to the Daily News.
There were nearly 900 arrests last year in vandalism cases involving graffiti, the majority of which ended in the forced cleanup and repainting of the tagged areas, the story stated.
Through grants, several Precincts have been able to purchase power washers to clean graffiti; volunteers and those sentenced to community service perform the cleaning, the story noted.
Bruce Pinkney, who runs CityServe, a graffiti removal company that has contracts across the city, said: "There definitely has been a trend in more graffiti in the last six months, mostly in vandals writing their tags. Most of the stuff is hip-hop graffiti and some gang graffiti, particularly up in Wakefield. But the one good thing is that people are becoming more aware of graffiti as an issue. Since graffiti became a CompStat number, the interest among police has increased dramatically, because now there’s accountability.”
A number of elected officials have secured city and state funding to hire commercial graffiti cleaning services to respond with free cleaning when residents or merchants request it, the story added.
BRONX, NY — With concerns about graffiti reaching nearly 2,000 complaints a year, the Bronx has reacted with a two-pronged approach: Clean the unsightly tags and hold violators accountable, according to the Daily News.
There were nearly 900 arrests last year in vandalism cases involving graffiti, the majority of which ended in the forced cleanup and repainting of the tagged areas, the story stated.
Through grants, several Precincts have been able to purchase power washers to clean graffiti; volunteers and those sentenced to community service perform the cleaning, the story noted.
Bruce Pinkney, who runs CityServe, a graffiti removal company that has contracts across the city, said: "There definitely has been a trend in more graffiti in the last six months, mostly in vandals writing their tags. Most of the stuff is hip-hop graffiti and some gang graffiti, particularly up in Wakefield. But the one good thing is that people are becoming more aware of graffiti as an issue. Since graffiti became a CompStat number, the interest among police has increased dramatically, because now there’s accountability.”
A number of elected officials have secured city and state funding to hire commercial graffiti cleaning services to respond with free cleaning when residents or merchants request it, the story added.
Cleaning woman caught confiscating with contraband
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
DESTIN, FL — Theft, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia are the charges faced by a cleaning woman who tried cleaning out more than just dirt and bacteria in a house she was contracted to clean, according to the Northwest Florida Daily.
Nicole Del Valle allegedly stole a platinum and diamond ring, a 14-karat gold bracelet and $78 cash, discretely hiding the items inside one of her socks, the story stated.
After Del Valle left, and the homeowner noticed the items were missing, she was called back to the house under suspicion that she stole the items, the story noted.
After being questioned by a deputy and initially denying haven stolen the items, Del Valle retrieved the ring from her shoe and the bracelet and cash from her sock; rolling papers and a small bag of marijuana were discovered inside her bra, the story added.
DESTIN, FL — Theft, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia are the charges faced by a cleaning woman who tried cleaning out more than just dirt and bacteria in a house she was contracted to clean, according to the Northwest Florida Daily.
Nicole Del Valle allegedly stole a platinum and diamond ring, a 14-karat gold bracelet and $78 cash, discretely hiding the items inside one of her socks, the story stated.
After Del Valle left, and the homeowner noticed the items were missing, she was called back to the house under suspicion that she stole the items, the story noted.
After being questioned by a deputy and initially denying haven stolen the items, Del Valle retrieved the ring from her shoe and the bracelet and cash from her sock; rolling papers and a small bag of marijuana were discovered inside her bra, the story added.
Dow fails to close on Rohm & Haas deal
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
MIDLAND, MI — The circus of legislative limbo continues in the seven-month-long Dow Chemical Co. and Rohm & Haas merger-acquisition, according to the Law Blog from The Wall Street Journal.
Rohm & Hass has now field suit against the chemical goliath, claiming Dow is intentionally breaching its obligation to complete the deal even though it has received all regulatory approvals and has the money available, the story stated.
Dow confirmed that it doesn’t intend to close the $15.3 billion merger by the Tuesday deadline due to a slump in the demand for chemicals that started in the fall, as well as last month’s implosion of Dow’s planned $17.4 billion joint venture with Kuwait, the story noted.
McCarter & English partner Howard Berkower, a merger lawyer not involved in this case, said: "The merger agreement is drafted in a way that’s favorable to Rohm & Haas, including the definition of what constitutes a material adverse effect. The definition excludes general economic conditions and financial markets in general. I can understand why courts are generally loathe to force a company to close a deal, but, as us lawyers say, a contract is a contract. At the end of the day, Dow made its bed, so now it might need to lie in it."
It remains unknown if and when the deal will be finalized and what, if any, fines will be imposed on either party, the story added.
MIDLAND, MI — The circus of legislative limbo continues in the seven-month-long Dow Chemical Co. and Rohm & Haas merger-acquisition, according to the Law Blog from The Wall Street Journal.
Rohm & Hass has now field suit against the chemical goliath, claiming Dow is intentionally breaching its obligation to complete the deal even though it has received all regulatory approvals and has the money available, the story stated.
Dow confirmed that it doesn’t intend to close the $15.3 billion merger by the Tuesday deadline due to a slump in the demand for chemicals that started in the fall, as well as last month’s implosion of Dow’s planned $17.4 billion joint venture with Kuwait, the story noted.
McCarter & English partner Howard Berkower, a merger lawyer not involved in this case, said: "The merger agreement is drafted in a way that’s favorable to Rohm & Haas, including the definition of what constitutes a material adverse effect. The definition excludes general economic conditions and financial markets in general. I can understand why courts are generally loathe to force a company to close a deal, but, as us lawyers say, a contract is a contract. At the end of the day, Dow made its bed, so now it might need to lie in it."
It remains unknown if and when the deal will be finalized and what, if any, fines will be imposed on either party, the story added.
SEIU encourages postponing wage increases
Friday, January 23, 2009
SANTA CRUZ, CA — The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 521 is encouraging workers to postpone pay raises and cost of living increases to prevent the layoff of up to 40 city workers, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
An agreement must be made today or the city will have no choice but to begin cutting back hours and laying off workers to counter the city's $7 million deficit, the story stated.
Councilman Mike Rotkin said: "It didn't hurt that Obama suggested that people give up their salaries so others could keep their jobs. I don't know how much we had to pay him to say that, but it was very helpful."
All of the unions functioning in the city except the SEIU have agreed to curb their pay raises for the time being; City Council members even cut their monthly stipend by 1o percent, the story noted.
City leaders remain confident that an agreement will be made before drastic measures need to be taken, the story added.
SANTA CRUZ, CA — The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 521 is encouraging workers to postpone pay raises and cost of living increases to prevent the layoff of up to 40 city workers, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
An agreement must be made today or the city will have no choice but to begin cutting back hours and laying off workers to counter the city's $7 million deficit, the story stated.
Councilman Mike Rotkin said: "It didn't hurt that Obama suggested that people give up their salaries so others could keep their jobs. I don't know how much we had to pay him to say that, but it was very helpful."
All of the unions functioning in the city except the SEIU have agreed to curb their pay raises for the time being; City Council members even cut their monthly stipend by 1o percent, the story noted.
City leaders remain confident that an agreement will be made before drastic measures need to be taken, the story added.
Friday's Ask the Experts: Indoor air quality
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday's Ask the Experts question from a cleaning professional on the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN) "Ask the Experts" page: My company recently started service at a concrete products mfg. facility. The flooring is hard (vct and tile) with a few carpeted offices. I have been told that the fire alarm has gone off due to dust raised when sweeping, etc. We have to clean these floors twice daily. Could you recommend a quality vac with a dump bag that we could use instead of a dust mop and regular vacuum?
The answer
You have a couple of choices. Use a treated dust mop for “dustless sweeping." The mop head will need frequent cleaning by vacuuming or shaking outside the facility, but, if treated and used correctly, will not raise dust and it is quiet and relatively fast. Have a few spare heads available to save time by changing them out. Don’t use them with a push broom motion or you will raise dust.
Use a back pack vacuum, with good filtration and, again, keep the filters and bags clean. The fine dust will load them up quickly so insist that the units are serviced before each use. There are... — Lynn E. Krafft, ICAN/ATEX Associate Editor
lekrafft@juno.com
Friday's Ask the Experts question from a cleaning professional on the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN) "Ask the Experts" page: My company recently started service at a concrete products mfg. facility. The flooring is hard (vct and tile) with a few carpeted offices. I have been told that the fire alarm has gone off due to dust raised when sweeping, etc. We have to clean these floors twice daily. Could you recommend a quality vac with a dump bag that we could use instead of a dust mop and regular vacuum?
The answer
You have a couple of choices. Use a treated dust mop for “dustless sweeping." The mop head will need frequent cleaning by vacuuming or shaking outside the facility, but, if treated and used correctly, will not raise dust and it is quiet and relatively fast. Have a few spare heads available to save time by changing them out. Don’t use them with a push broom motion or you will raise dust.
Use a back pack vacuum, with good filtration and, again, keep the filters and bags clean. The fine dust will load them up quickly so insist that the units are serviced before each use. There are... — Lynn E. Krafft, ICAN/ATEX Associate Editor
lekrafft@juno.com
Dow acquisition cleared by Federal Trade Commission
Friday, January 23, 2009
MIDLAND, MI — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has given Dow Chemical clearance to follow through with their $15.4 billion acquisition of Rohm & Haas, according to Bloomberg.com.
Dow agreed to sell acrylic plants in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois and California and a latex research facility in North Carolina to satisfy FTC concerns that the merger could eventually lend itself to form a monopoly and hurt chemical manufacturer competition, the story stated.
According to a Federal Trade Commission statement, Dow will have six months after it completes the acquisition to sell the assets or a trustee appointed by the FTC would be empowered to dispose of them.
After clearing this final hurdle in the long-awaited merger, Dow must now complete the deal within two business days, the story noted.
MIDLAND, MI — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has given Dow Chemical clearance to follow through with their $15.4 billion acquisition of Rohm & Haas, according to Bloomberg.com.
Dow agreed to sell acrylic plants in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois and California and a latex research facility in North Carolina to satisfy FTC concerns that the merger could eventually lend itself to form a monopoly and hurt chemical manufacturer competition, the story stated.
According to a Federal Trade Commission statement, Dow will have six months after it completes the acquisition to sell the assets or a trustee appointed by the FTC would be empowered to dispose of them.
After clearing this final hurdle in the long-awaited merger, Dow must now complete the deal within two business days, the story noted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)